Princess of the Ladybug Kingdom
by DarkBluePapillon
Summary: Young lord, Adrien Agreste, is sent on a personal mission to find the mythical Ladybug kingdom. What he finds, however, wasn't what he expected to find. He is then sent on a mission-detour in hopes of finding something lost, and hopefully, finding something new. *Rated T for mild suggested themes in later chapters because I'm paranoid
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, beautiful people! I'm back! I decided I was somewhat bored with my two stories I posted, and wanted to post another story! This is one of my favorite takes on the show, and definitely one of the more mature themed of my stories. I hope to post more stories relatively soon, but with school just starting and working, I might not be able to keep up the pace. But stay tuned, because I am determined! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Miraculous Ladybug or affiliated characters, just this original story.**

Chapter 1

In a far away land in time of old, there was a village erected next to a large river. Although this village was quite large, it seemed everyone knew each other. The atmosphere was calm and healthy, perfect for raising families. People from all over the country would move to this village just because of how well it suited their needs to raise a family. However, even Utopias have their downfalls.

Centuries ago, just as the village was finished being built, there was an attack from what appeared to be butterflies. These butterflies, however, were no normal butterflies, they appeared black in color and would chase after people and attach itself to an item on that person, merging itself and transforming their victim into some sort of brainwashed warrior. The attack lasted for days, leaving hardly anyone who wasn't a victim… yet. One day, the gloomy and grey atmosphere of the village became quite colorful when some warriors appeared. Granted these warriors' armor looked strange, the villagers could tell they were quite skilled.

One warrior seemed like a personified fox, with his armor taking on an orange-red hue that matched his fiery red hair. His helmet seemed to be designed in such a way that it gave him large ears, just like a fox. He also had a sash that made it look like he had a long fox tail. As for weapons, he had a short sword and a wooden flute.

Another warrior followed behind him, a young woman in dark blue armor, with rubies adorning her breastplate, her helmet was thin and also had rubies, she also wore a dark blue cape that billowed behind her like long peacock feathers. As for her weapon, she didn't have any type of swords, but she had a large fan, made of peacock feathers as well.

The next warrior wore armor made of gold with black chainmail covering the front. She was dainty, but also looked like she could hold her ground. She wore a smaller helmet that was mostly used to cover the top of her head and her face, allowing the people to see her hair in a tight, honey blonde bun. Her weapon consisted of a long staff, which seemed somewhat big for her, but she easily walked around with it.

The next warrior was a little strange, he did not wear actual armor, instead he wore a mix of a mage's robe and an assassins cloak. The robe itself was long and loose like a mage's robe, but had a hood and mask just like an assassin and allowed easy maneuverability. This mage did seem to carry a large shield upon his back as his weapon.

The next warrior looked quite intimidating. He was covered head to toe in black armor with a long and short sword, his helmet with two spikes that appeared to be cat ears, and a black cape behind him. However, instead of wearing armored gloves like the other warriors in armor, he wore plain black gloves, very thin. His helmet covered his entire face except his eyes, which seemed to glow like cat eyes underneath all this darkness, and his aura seemed to emanate this darkness as well.

However, right by his side seemed to be a beacon of light, a young woman in a strange type of armor. Unlike her counterpart, her armor was very thin and seemed like normal clothes. It was a deep red with random black spots all over, resembling a ladybug. The armor would most likely offer some protection, but nothing compared to the armor of her allies. She too had a cape, but it was much shorter than theirs, giving an appearance of wings. She wore a simple black helmet that covered her head and most of her face. Her weapon of choice, surprisingly, was a somewhat new invention called a yoyo, which was a small wooden object attached to a string, something that children played with. Unlike her partner that she strode beside, her aura was very light and warming, providing villagers with hope by a single glance.

All of these warriors seemed to congregate in the middle of the square, looking out among the villagers with a wary expression. After a few minutes, the fox looking warrior turned to the ladybug, saying, "well Tikki, what do you think about this?"

The woman, known as Tikki, put her hand on her chin, contemplating her options. After a minute, she turns back to her fox counterpart. "Trixx, I want you to go to the north and work your way west to meet back here; Pollen, I want you to do the same with the south and east. Gather all victims."

"Right!" both shouted as they flew off to gather the villagers.

She then turned to the cat, the turtle, and the peacock. "When they get back, I want you, Duusu, to sweep up all akumas as Wayzz, Plagg, and myself break their items."

"You got it!" Within a few minutes, Trixx and his clones were herding the villagers to the middle of the square while Pollen was leading the way with her army of brainwashed victims using her now glowing staff, which made it look like a honeycomb. When every victim was in the square, Duusu created a wind barrier, keeping the people inside the square. With everyone trapped inside, Tikki, Plagg, and Wayzz began breaking the people's akumatized items, releasing the dark butterflies known as akumas, and allowing each person who turned back to normal to leave the square. When every villager was outside of the wind barrier, Tikki opened up her yoyo and collected every akuma. She brought the closed yoyo to her mouth, whispered an ancient Chinese spell, and released hundreds of now pure-white cleansed butterflies. With all the akumas gone, the brightness of the village returned, and all of the villagers rejoiced. The village council approached the young warriors, displaying their gratitude with deep bows, asking what the warriors wanted in return for their services.

"There is absolutely no need for such a deed," Tikki told the elders with a wave of her dainty hand. "This is our duty, as miraculous holders."

"Miraculous holders?" all the villagers echoed.

"Yes. You see, we are god-like creatures known as kwamis, and it is our sworn duty to protect humans from supernatural beings, such as these akumas. Unfortunately, our friend is missing, and he is supposed to be the one controlling his butterflies. It seems like he has been captured somehow. We will find him and prevent this from happening again, we promise." And with another wave, all the kwamis left, leaving no damage to the village. The villages wrote documents about this mission stated by the kwamis, also dedicating all fame to them that they received from other villages. Their act became legend, travelling through tongue across the great lands.

But throughout the centuries, their story did in fact become legend, and would be used as bedtime stories for children. After that day, no one saw or heard from the kwamis, except by some rumor stating that someone traveled to their home known as the Ladybug kingdom. There was no absolute ruler of the kingdom, it was all shared by the kwamis. In fact, it wasn't really a kingdom at all; the inhabitants included the seven kwamis (as long as Noroo was there and safe) and their respective animals, consisting of foxes, turtles, peacocks, bees, butterflies, cats (black ones in particular), and ladybugs. Another rumor spread that if you were able to find the Ladybug kingdom, Tikki and her other kwami friends would grant any wish your heart could desire, whether it be wealth, fame, love, or even to bring back a loved one lost in the world or lost to the world. But the most interesting rumor of all spread within the last century that akumas began reappearing, only a few at a time though, and sometimes one or two kwamis would venture out and save the victims. If what people said were true, the one that caught them most of the time was the dark knight himself, Plagg, the god of destruction. He became a traveler, going across the land to search for akumas and take them back to the Ladybug kingdom for Tikki to cleanse. Something has kept her hidden within the castle for the last 20 years, and no one knew what it was that kept her from fulfilling her special duties… until now.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was a warm summer day, the breeze still hot but strong enough to keep someone from sweating too much. The birds chirped in the distance as he walked down the country road. He was dressed in tan pants and a white top, it wasn't ideal for going into town but perfect for a walk in the countryside. He never got away from his mansion, and he tried escaping whenever he could. Right now, he was walking barefoot down the road and occasionally kick pebbles out of his way. He would hum along to the music nature gave him, remembering days past when his life was full of laughter and warmth. The days when his parents and him would travel out to his summer cottage and spend their days at their lake, happily relaxing through the summer months before going back for the harvest festivals the village would throw. He remembered the days his mother would play hide and seek with him and find new games to play while his father worked, the nights when the thunderstorms would keep him awake so his mother would stroke his golden hair until he did fall asleep. He frowned as he remembered her bright laughter ringing in his ears, and the night that her laughter was heard for the last time. By fate, her laughter was heard by him during the day while there was a thunderstorm that night. She was late getting back from the village, and he began to get worried. His father already went into town by horseback and couldn't find a trace of her, so they were both waiting in their summer cottage for her to return, only to wait in vain. A few days later the town's sheriff, Monsieur Raincomprix, rode to their cottage with a sorrowful expression. He revealed to his father, Gabriel Agreste, that his wife's carriage was found destroyed on the side of an abandoned country road, with the horses gone as well as any riches. There was no sign of his wife nor any blood indicating she was injured when she disappeared. Because it was raining that night, they couldn't track her or the culprit down, if there was one. The whole situation seemed like a nightmare, something too fantastic to actually be true. They never knew of someone to just disappear out of the blue unless they ran away, but she was happy living with her husband and child, meaning that someone planned and executed her kidnapping somehow. He growled as he looked to the ground, mussing his hair with his hands in frustration.

His name is Adrien Agreste, son of the lord and fashion mogul Gabriel Agreste. When he was younger he would attend his father's fashion shows in the cities as a model for his father, but now he was almost 24 years old and was soon going to take over for his father. Although he was imaginative and creative, he didn't share the same artistic talent as his father for designing clothes. His father knew this, so he tried to keep his industry up himself until he could find a suitable replacement to help Adrien take over. But he was growing older, and didn't have the same creativity as he used to. His wife's disappearance took its toll on him, leaving him as a single father for his only child. He lost the main source of his inspiration that night, and his sunshine. Until Adrien became a man, he forced his son to be a model and obey every rule of his, basically treating him as a slave. Gabriel became a cold man, hardly spending any time with his son and only cared about his modeling career, until Adrien had enough and stood up for himself. They argued about how both were affected with Madame Agreste's disappearance and how they needed each other to move on, and soon came to an agreement. Now they get along nicely, although they still disagree on certain things. One of those things is for Adrien to settle down.

As stated, Adrien was a man of 23, almost 24, and still has to find a suitable wife. Being an attractive young man, he could easily win the hearts of any young lady he chose, but that was exactly why he hasn't chose anyone. He was good at reading people, and every young lady he talked to seemed to say the perfect words to try to please him, but he would only grow tired and sometimes angry with them. He didn't want a wife who would say whatever to please him, he wanted someone honest and trustworthy, someone who would tell him what they thought was correct and isn't afraid to say so. He wasn't like other young men in the city, who would want a doll who would obey every command and say whatever to make them happy. His mother was a confident woman who wasn't afraid to but his father in his place, and both men enjoyed her company. It was a weakness of his. He seemed to like women who would look past his stature or appearance and tell him what was what. Unfortunately, he couldn't find someone like that. He was particularly picky when it came to choosing a bride, and according to his father, his youth was fading. He needed to find a bride fast to supply his father with grandchildren, as Gabriel put it.

"I'm an old man who was deprived of many children. Of course I had you, but after the disappearance of your mother, I couldn't find another woman to love and give you siblings. I need that brightness in my life before I pass on, so I would like you to find your other half and give me grandchildren," his father told him one day as they were in his office. Adrien rolled his eyes at his father's dramatics. He appreciated how his father has loosened up over the years, but sometimes his humor is a little weak. Adrien himself favored poorly timed jokes, including puns.

He continued down the road until he came to the lake. He always loved going to the lake. He would throw rocks into the water with his mom, and would go swimming on particularly hot days. They would also use a boat to cross the lake to the trees on the other side. Of course they could easily walk over there, but there wasn't any magic doing so. The trees provided a magical feeling when one rowed a boat underneath the weeping branches. The place seemed untouched by humans, and they wanted to keep it that way. Sometimes his mother and him would see deer and rabbits, and rarely they would allow them to be pet. It was probably because they were so calm around them, that they didn't mind being pet as long as they weren't loud.

"It's because animals can tell when a human is kind at heart. The more pure the heart, the more likely an animal will let you approach them. And it seems like you certainly are pure at heart, love," he remembered her saying one day.

Adrien began walking into the water, stopping to where the water would be about an inch below his pants. He still needed to head back to the city, so he couldn't let his pants get wet before he got back. He took deep, calming breaths as he looked around the lake and the cottage. He really enjoyed being here. If anything, he would like to come here during his honeymoon, as long as his new wife didn't want to travel elsewhere.

Speaking of, he frowned as he remembered who his father has chosen for his bride. Chloe Bourgeois, the only daughter of the Mayor of Paris. They practically grew up together, so she was his closest female friend. She was a sweet girl, always smiling and telling jokes to lighten the mood, but she quickly became vain as she became a teenager. She was just barely younger than him at 22 years. She just had a birthday party, where she invited every 'important' person in the land. Men seemed to line up to talk to her. He could talk to her any time he wanted, seeing how she really wanted to marry him. At first, he thought she wanted to marry him because she had genuine feelings for him, but as soon as he was able to read people, he could tell she only wanted to be with him for his fame and fortune. He still enjoyed spending time with her, but she wasn't his ideal choice for a wife.

His best friend, Nino Lahiffe, was lucky. He was 24 years old, just like Adrien, and he already had a bride chosen. Granted he hasn't asked her yet, but Adrien was sure she would say yes. Nino chose a spunky young girl named Alya Cesaire, an aspiring journalist who loved to travel and discover gossip and write about it. She claimed she only would write about true gossip, but there were times when Adrien questioned her for her excitement. She had little siblings, so she knew how to exaggerate stories.

Chuckling, he figured he spent enough time at the lake and decided to head back home. Going into the cottage, he quickly changed back into his normal attire and mounted his horse to go back home. It was still hot outside, but Adrien could tell the sun was starting to go down into evening. He didn't feel like checking his pocket watch, but he guessed it was around three in the afternoon or so. He wanted to make his horse run back to the city, but then he would be home in about two hours or so. If he had his horse walk there, it would be about midnight when he got back. It was hot out, and the run would feel nice, but it might tire his horse. He decided that when it came to country roads like the one he was on, they would run, and they would walk if they went through a village.

Following his plan, he made it home just before supper. He had just enough time to wash his face and change into nicer clothes. His father informed him that they would be expecting guests tonight, so he needed to look his best. Confused, Adrien did as he was told and changed into one of his nicer outfits. It wasn't as formal as what he would wear to a ball or a fashion event, but it was still fairly nice. When he finished, he heard horses and looked out his window. He groaned as he recognized whose carriage it was: Andre Bourgeois, Mayor of Paris. He didn't know whether or not it was a matter with his father or with… him. He panicked a little and looked to the other side of the carriage to see if Chloe would climb out. When he didn't see the blonde, he sighed in relief. 'Perhaps the meeting is about the coming fashion show for father,' Adrien thought. He took a quick look at his appearance with his mirror, making sure there were no wrinkles in his suit and his hair was neat. When he was satisfied, he made his way downstairs to join his father and the mayor who were already discussing something. He walked into foyer with a smile plastered to his face as he approached the two older men. They saw him approach, and seemed to pause in their conversation, almost as if they didn't want to continue with him being there. It didn't ease his mind when they smiled at him, but he was interrupted from asking when someone grabbed him from behind, startling him.

"Adrikins!" a voice shrieked. 'So much for relaxation,' Adrien thought with a groan. He quickly plastered another fake smile before turning around.

"Hello Chloe, how are you?"

"Oh just terrible! I went in to have one of my dresses mended, but the boss wasn't there so I couldn't wear the dress tonight!"

"You could've just had one of the other seamstresses fix it, I'm sure your dress wasn't too messed up."

"But almost all the girls there were in training, I wouldn't trust a rucksack with them," she said with a huff as she quickly twisted her head away from him. Adrien was surprised she hasn't snapped her neck with her fast movements yet. When she snapped her head back around, she has a sickeningly sweet smile on her face, one that Adrien didn't trust. There was something hidden behind it, he knew. "Let's go eat, I'm famished," Chloe suddenly commented.

"Yes, that sounds like a good plan," Gabriel agreed. Seeing his father agree to something, Chloe no less, was a bad sign for Adrien. Andre was still smiling kindly to Adrien, but now it was a bit awkward and a little too cheerful, even for him. Adrien was now on edge for what dinner might bring. Dinner was served and Andre tried to keep the conversations lighthearted, but Adrien couldn't concentrate. He was so focused on trying to find out what the others knew that he didn't.

"Adrien," his father's stern voice brought him back.

Jolting, Adrien placed a casual look on his face. "Yes, father?"

"I think now is about time we have a serious talk." His stoic face did nothing to calm Adrien's nerves, perhaps making it worse. "We had a talk a couple weeks ago about your future," he started. Adrien looked closer to his father's eyes and posture. Gabriel's posture was stiff and looked uncomfortable, his knuckles were lightly tapping on the table in what Adrien assumed was irritation, and his eyes were directed elsewhere. Following his line of site, one would think Gabriel was looking towards Andre, but his eyes were slightly clouded over, meaning he wasn't focusing on anything specific. "I still need to find someone to help you run my company, but that's on my end. Your end, however, needs to be resolved quickly." Gabriel looked to Adrien with a serious face, yet he had an apologetic look in his eyes that Adrien hardly saw. He knew his father didn't want to continue what he was going to say but it had to be done, and Adrien had a feeling he knew what it was going to be. "You are a young man of age, and it's about time you start having a family. Andre and Mademoiselle Bourgeois has been invited over here because, well, Miss Chloe is the best option for you that I've seen thus far for a wife. In short, we need to discuss a date in which you two will be wed."

Although Adrien wasn't drinking or eating anything, he seemed to be choking. As he coughs, he sees the sympathetic look his father and his assistant, Natalie, gives him. After he recovers from his coughing fit, he looks between his father and Andre. "I'm sorry, I don't understand. I thought I had time to choose a bride?"

"You do get the choice of a bride, but the time to choose is drawing close. So far Chloe is the best suited to be your wife, and mother to your future children."

Adrien's mouth became dry as his blood ran cold. He was paralyzed, he didn't know what to say or think. He didn't come out of his darkening thoughts until a hand grasped his shoulder. Jumping slightly, he turned to the source, finding Chloe smiling above him. "You hear that, honey? We will be married soon! We will have the cutest children in the city, no, of all of France!" she exclaimed as she jumped excitedly. When Adrien didn't say anything, she stopped. She saw his normally sunkissed skin turn pale, and his vibrant green eyes start to lose its colorful spark. Her smile slowly drifted from her face as she hesitantly retracted her hand from his shoulder. "Don't you want to marry me, Adrikins?"

The softness of her voice surprised him, and her genuine concern betrayed her nonchalant façade. His heart started to break when he saw the hurt in her eyes. He never truly saw her in the romantic light; they were practically raised together, so he saw her as a little sister. Placing a small but genuine smile on his face, he took a deep inhale and thought about what he could tell her without breaking her more. "Chloe, it isn't necessarily that," he started but almost wanted to smack himself because he thought he was being inconsiderate. "I just think that getting married like this is too hasty and wouldn't be healthy for our… relationship. Sure, we grew up together, but I feel like we don't really know each other."

"Then we should change that!" she suggested excitedly. "We can easily spend every day together! We could go to the city and shop, go on picnics, and I can help run your fashion business! Suggesting ideas, mostly. I won't touch that embroidery," she said as she looked at her nails. "We can go ahead and start tomorrow!"

"Actually, about that," he hastily tried to think of an excuse. "I-I'm actually going to spend time with Nino tomorrow!" He took a quick look to his father, he didn't know why. Did he want his father's help in covering or was he expecting his father to call him out? Adrien held his breath as he saw his father straighten slightly and readjust his glasses.

"Oh yes, Nino Lahiffe, your musician friend," he said thoughtfully. Adrien loved his father, but he hated how he could never read his father's expressions. "Is he not planning to ask that young lady, Alya Cesaire, to be his bride?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, knowing him and how… outspoken, Miss Alya is, he will need some help devising a plan."

Adrien released the breath he was holding, hopefully not being too obvious with his relief. How his father figured that information out about Nino, he wouldn't know until he asked, but all he knew was that he was glad that he did his research. "Yes, father. That's why I promised him we would spend the day together planning the process of proposing."

"Yes, of course. Well, Miss Chloe, I'm sorry to hear that you will have to postpone your plans with Adrien until further notice."

"No matter, we have a few months to get to know each other before our wedding day," she commented as she kissed Adrien's cheek. Normally Adrien wouldn't mind that much about her kisses. But in this context where they could possibly be wed in the future, and the fact that she wore an expensive and sticky lip gloss, he grimaced at the touch.

Dinner didn't take long after that, and the Bourgeois' quickly went back to their own mansion. Adrien sighed in relief once they left his driveway and wiped his cheek where Chloe kissed him. "Okay, you have some explaining to do, young man," his father's voice boomed behind him, making Adrien jump slightly. Gabriel didn't yell, he hardly did that, it was just stern. Turning around, Adrien saw the questioning look his father was giving him and automatically gave him a guilty look. "I know how you feel about marrying Chloe, but I had no choice. Andre would only talk about you two whenever we got together, making it difficult to refuse him," he said with a sigh as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "You're lucky both of them aren't as sharp to observing expressions as us."

"I know father, and I apologize for putting you in that situation, but I needed an excuse to get out of her plan."

"I understand," Gabriel said with a knowing smile. "So, should we send a messenger to invite Nino for the day then?"

"No, I'll just go to his house tomorrow, if that's okay."

"Of course, just don't be out too late. Speaking of, it is getting late now, so I am off to bed. Good night, Adrien."

"Good night, father."

The next morning, Adrien got up early and headed over to Nino's house, dressed in casual clothes again. Knowing Nino, he would probably not want to go to a largely public place unless he wanted to perform somewhere. So Adrien chose to wear his traveling boots and nicer pants, as well as a top slightly nicer than the white undershirt he wore to the lake yesterday; nothing too flashy. He smiled as he approached Nino's door and knocked enthusiastically. Because Nino was already 24 years old, he lived on his own, but he couldn't really afford that large of a place due to his saving money to pay for his future wedding… hopefully. It was before 8am, so he figured Nino wouldn't have been up yet, which was confirmed when he heard a mumbled "coming" coming from upstairs. When Nino opened the door, Adrien purposefully displayed his brightest smile he knew annoyed Nino, especially this early in the morning.

"Good morning, Nino. I thought I should stop by and visit my best friend and start on the day."

"Bro, it's too early in the morning," his friend mumbled as he rubbed his face. Adrien figured he took another shift at the tavern to earn some extra money, so he should've been out no later than two or three this morning. He somewhat felt bad for waking him up so early, but he needed to talk to him.

"I don't think so, I've been up for a couple hours," Adrien said in mock confusion.

"That's because you're the sunshine child, it's like you never sleep."

"I sleep, I just don't stay up too late, unlike someone," Adrien looked accusingly at Nino.

"Can't blame me for trying to earn some extra money, some of us aren't related to wealthy fashion designers."

"True… but honestly, I thought we should get an early start on planning your proposal," Adrien commented knowingly in a low tone just in case someone were to walk by and hear him. Automatically Nino's eyes widened and his cheeks blushed slightly for a faint moment.

"Give me ten minutes, I'll be out." Adrien laughed as his best friend closed the door and ran upstairs to get dressed. Ten minutes later, almost exactly, Nino came bursting out of his door with a bright smile on his face. He was no doubt thinking about Alya, which made Adrien smile. Adrien was happy for his friend, but he was also jealous. He was able to choose who he married, and he actually enjoyed spending time with her. He had no pressures to propose in a timely manner nor anything too extravagant. Nino always reasoned that it was because he was poor and it didn't really matter for his family who they married, which sometimes made Adrien feel better but sometimes made him feel worse. Adrien shook his head to get those negative thoughts out of his head as his friend walked up to him. "Dude, I thought you couldn't come out today?"

"I didn't until last night."

"What happened last night?"

"Well," Adrien said as he scratched the back of his neck looking away from his friends questioning stare. "Chloe came over last night…" he commented evasively.

"She did? Something else must've happened for you to be this nervous."

'Damn, he's spending way too much time with Alya, he's starting to read me better,' Adrien thought to himself. Taking a deep breath, he continued his reasoning. "Chloe and her father came over for dinner last night," he paused when Nino looked at him with widened eyes. "Apparently her and my father have been talking, and they decided that if I don't find a bride within the next few months, Chloe will become my wife."

"Dude, you married to Chloe? That's insane! I know you grew up together, but if you two married, we wouldn't be able to hang out anymore!" Nino yelled dramatically.

"I know what you mean, Nino-"

"Woe is me, it looks like I have lost a friend. I will attend your funeral in a few months. Goodbye, my friend," Nino continued as he placed his hand on his forehead, trying to release some tension.

"Haha, very funny," Adrien commented sarcastically while elbowing his friend's stomach playfully, although he really did appreciate Nino's way of helping him try to relax. "My father actually helped me weave my way out of that situation last night."

"Your father did?" Nino asked as he raised an eyebrow. "Why would he do that?"

"He actually doesn't want me to marry Chloe, he seems apprehensive about it. Chloe suggested last night that we spend every day together until we supposedly get married, and my father helped me escape by agreeing that I'm meeting up with you to help you plan how to ask Alya."

"Dude, that's awesome! I'm glad your dad finally loosened up over the last few years," Nino said with an appreciative smile.

"Me too. The only problem is, he's agreeing with the Mayor that I need to marry soon, so I really need to start looking."

"Dude, that's a bad idea."

"Why do you say that?"

"You can't just look for someone to love, it just happens. That's what happened with Alya and me."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but some of us aren't lucky enough to just find love," Adrien said rolling his eyes.

"True, so I suppose I'll give you some of my luck and help you find your future wife."

"Thanks, man," Adrien said as he fist bumped Nino. They continued talking about random things as they wandered around the city, ranging from performances to how crazy fashion from other countries are to troubles with younger siblings.

"I admit, I do get annoyed with my younger brother and sister, but they are angels compared to Alya's siblings. I love them and all, but I understand why Alya is as crazy as she is when she's around them."

"I wouldn't know, I can't relate," Adrien said with a smile, although he was somewhat upset that he couldn't be like his friends in that way.

Sensing his sadness, Nino pat him encouragingly on his shoulder. "No worries bro, Alya and I are like your siblings, and we could let you borrow our siblings once in a while if you want," Nino said half-jokingly.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Adrien laughed. "But I bet when it comes to your kids you wouldn't want to share." His casual comment seemed to do its trick and made Nino blush mad, just thinking about creating a family with Alya.

"I'm not so sure about that, we won't know until it happens," Nino replied scratching his face nervously as he looked off to the distance. After a moment of silence, he turned back to Adrien with his normal color back, but with a mischievous smile. "What about you? How many children are you planning to have in the future?"

Adrien blushed slightly as he shook some hair from his eyes. "I guess it depends on who I marry, how many she wants. But if it was up to me, I would have as many children as possible," he replied dreamily. He didn't notice Nino laughing quietly at him to the side.

"I wouldn't doubt that you would want a lot of kids, just make sure she's not in too much pain, got it dude?" Nino joked while elbowing him.

"Of course not!" Adrien defended mockingly. He dramatically placed his hand on his chest and rose his other arm, "on my honor, I will allow my wife to choose the size of my family and at her pace. I will be there for her every step of the way, and ensure that she is never in unnecessary pain."

Nino laughed at his friend's serious face while displaying his outlandish dramatics. "Dude, you need to chill. I'm sure whoever you marry would gladly agree to having however many kids you want."

"Perhaps, I just need to find her," Adrien said as he dejectedly sat down. Nino once again sensed his sadness and immediately changed the subject to something he remembered Alya talking to him about the other day.

"If you think your dream girl is just a dream, I suggest you wish to find her," he said cryptically.

"Like on a star? You know I outgrew that."

"No, something even more legit than a star." Nino looked around and leaned in close, as if he didn't want other people to hear what he had to say. "You need to wish upon a ladybug."

"A ladybug?" Adrien questioned with a raised brow.

"You look at me like I'm a mad man, but I actually believe in it. Alya was telling me-"

"Of course you believe it because of Alya," Adrien rolled his eyes.

"Not just that, dude, she actually found some old scripts about a place called the Ladybug kingdom."

"Not that old story, that's a bedtime story I haven't heard since my mother was here."

"But out of all the documents all over Europe, that seems to be one of the only stories that's consistent through time. Legend says that if you can find the Ladybug kingdom, you are granted one wish, and it can be anything you want." Adrien thought about it, and it actually sounded like a good idea. If he wanted to find a perfect wife, perhaps the ruler of the Ladybug kingdom can help him. Just as he nodded though, Nino interrupted him. "But it won't be easy. Legend also says that the kingdom is hidden from human eyes and it's protected, meaning it's almost impossible to gain access. Alya believes that the cat kwami of destruction protects the kingdom, seeing how he's one of the two most powerful of all of them. If that's the case, one would almost have to gain his favor to enter, and that's near impossible." Adrien's hope began to falter a bit. He started to feel a bit confident about the plan, and was going to leave and find the kingdom, but now he wasn't so sure. "But with your natural charm, I'm guessing you would easily get in," Nino said encouragingly.

Adrien was confused. Nino first suggested going, mentioned it would be near impossible, but then said he was confident he could succeed. "Nino, please make up your mind. Should I try it or should I just stay here?"

"You need a little adventure in your life dude, I suggest going anyways, no harm in trying."

"I suppose you're right," Adrien said confidently, although he felt a little nervous internally.

"Great! Now, let's plan my proposal and then I'll see if Alya can get you a map to the suspected location of the kingdom."

"Deal!" After a few more hours of planning and joking around, Nino went home with a concrete plan for his proposal while Adrien left with a map to the Ladybug kingdom. Adrien was getting a little nervous about it. He agreed with Nino about going on the trip, thinking that he needed a way to relax a bit before he ties the knot, he just didn't know what he would tell his father. Stopping, Adrien backtracked on his thoughts. 'If I were to find the kingdom, should I wish for a bride or to find my mother?' Adrien thought. Now he felt bad, because he didn't know what would be better. Should he move on from his mother's loss? He has tried to for many years now, but if there was a way to get her back, he vowed to do so. But even if he did, would it work? If his mother came back, what would happen to him? His father would be truly happy once again, but what if he couldn't find a bride on time, he might be forced to marry Chloe. He shivered at the thought, but decided that Chloe wouldn't be the worst option. He knew that she had a kind side, although she tried to hide it. She wouldn't leave him for another, she was too attached to do that. However, he didn't think it would be fair to her if he chose an easy way out and just settled with her without actually loving her in return. In fact, he wasn't certain that Chloe truly loved him at all. She might've just loved the idea of being with Adrien. Adrien hated thinking that way about Chloe, but sometimes he did wonder why she was so hung up about marrying him and only him. He knows of a few men who would love to marry her, some for her beauty or fortune, and others for her personality. From what he saw, all of them would be perfect, supportive husbands for her, but she would deny all of them and focus solely on him. He hoped she didn't stick around him for vanity, but there was no way to be sure without hurting her feelings.

"Adrien? Why are you just standing there in the doorway?" his father asked from his desk. Adrien blinked a few times before turning and looking at his surroundings. Somehow, he made it to his father's office. Suddenly embarrassed, he hid the map behind his back as he tried to cover his reasoning.

"Well, I suppose I just wanted to see how you are doing, is that wrong of me?" Adrien asked nervously while scratching his neck.

"No, it isn't," his father responded cautiously. "Although it is weird for you to act so nervous being here unless there was something you think I wouldn't approve of." Adrien's blood ran cold and he almost jumped at how accurate his father was to the truth. Seeing his son's reaction, Gabriel smirked and indicated Adrien to come closer, which he slowly complied. "What's behind your back Adrien?"

"Uhm, nothing father-"

"Don't lie to me, I can read your expressions, remember?" his father lightly scolded him with his smirk still in place. Exhaling, Adrien did as his father wordlessly asked and brought out his map. He slowly and cautiously handed it to his father, still confused about how to explain the situation. Gabriel gave his son a wary look before opening the map only to stop in his tracks, eyes widening. "Adrien, is this-?"

"Yes, it's a map to the Ladybug kingdom," Adrien answered matter-of-factly, albeit nervously. His father only gave him a surprised and questioning look, urging him to continue. Taking a calming breath, Adrien continued. "Well, Nino and I were talking earlier, and all of us know I don't wish to marry Chloe," he had to hold in a snicker when his father made a disgusted face, "and he suggested trying to find the Ladybug kingdom and wishing for my perfect bride. The tactic is a bit barbaric, in a sense, just wishing up the perfect woman, but he figured it was better than giving up and marrying Chloe."

"While that is true, you also know that the Ladybug kingdom is a fairy tale, correct?"

"Well," he paused, scratching his neck. "Alya actually has been doing her research on it, and that's how she produced this map. She used sources from the lore and also reported sightings from the last 50 years or so."

"Impressive, it certainly does look like she was thorough in her research," Gabriel commended. Adrien felt a surge of pride flow through his veins for his friend. "This map is incredibly detailed," he continued absent-mindedly. After a couple minutes, Gabriel sighed and returned his map. "I will allow you to go," he started. Adrien felt a smile hastily overtaking his features before Gabriel held up his hand. "However, there are conditions." Adrien's excitement dwindled slightly. He had no idea what conditions his father might be talking about. His father allowed him more freedom than he used to, an example being able to go on this adventure. He was wealthy enough to afford the trip, even if he used his own money. If anything, Adrien thought his father might hire a bodyguard to go with him. However, that option wasn't one Adrien wanted to compromise with. Clearing his throat, Gabriel continued, "you are still young Adrien. You have proven yourself a man years ago, but going on a journey such as this is a big deal, and I don't want you to get hurt.

"I trust your friend's handiwork in this map, so I doubt you would get lost unless you lose this map or you somehow forget how to read one," both men couldn't help but smile at those two outcomes, knowing that it's fairly unlikely to happen. "I assume you already know that I would hire at least one bodyguard for you while you are away. However, as I mentioned before, you are a man now and can handle yourself. Not to mention that you graduated the top of your fencing class years ago and are still the undefeated champion in the city," Gabriel said with a proud smile and a glint of pride in his eyes. "So the conditions set for you are to make sure you have plenty of supplies for your journey, and extras just in case. If and when you do arrive, you may need to bring your supposed bride home with you, so you need to eat enough food for energy but have enough on hand just in case something were to happen. You also need to create a budget, this trip looks like it could take weeks, even months. You will need enough money to buy food if you happen upon a town."

"Of course, father," Adrien stated, then a thought came to his mind. He started to ask, but the words caught in his throat. He thought long and hard about this option, but was more hesitant to ask about it than asking about the journey.

"What is it, son?"

"Well, although Nino and I talked about me going there to wish for a bride, I actually wanted to wish for something else…" he said, murmuring at the end.

"Something else? What would that be? Certainly nothing would be more important than something for your future."

"What about mom?" he hesitantly asked. Talking about his mother was still a sensitive subject. They talked about her often, mostly about good memories, but whenever they consider the possibility of her coming back, both men would grow silent. This was one of those cases. Gabriel took a deep inhale and sighed as he stood up from his desk, walking around to stand in front of Adrien. Adrien looked somewhat apprehensive about it now, not knowing what his father would say or do. He was pleasantly surprised when his father hugged him, which he instantly reciprocated.

"I know what you're thinking, and it would indeed make us both very happy. However, we have survived thus far without her. I'm not saying we give up on her, far from it, but if you are only given one wish when you find the Ladybug kingdom, I want you to wish for someone who can fulfill you. I have memories of my second half, and you are proof of that. I lucked out; I was able to get that happiness. If you wish for her return, you of course would be happy, but it would be even more difficult for you to find your other half. The choice is up to you, but if I was in your position, I would wish for your bride to be," he finished with a sad but genuine smile.

Adrien didn't know what to think. He agreed with his father about finding his other half, but he did want his mother back. Having her back would make both happy, and perhaps with her influence he wouldn't have to marry Chloe! That was always a hope he would have. He decided that when the time comes to make his wish, he would listen to his heart. Determined, he left his father in the study and went to make a supplies list and buy everything.

It took a few days, but Adrien had everything he needed: food, weapons, money, and extra clothes. He didn't know if the trip was going to be dangerous or not, so he included first aid supplies, just in case. His mother always told him it was better to be safe than sorry, and he would always adhere to them in any situation. As he finished collecting his items and readied his horse, his father approached him with a small box. "For your journey, so you remain safe and will find your way back home," Gabriel smiled as he handed it to Adrien. Adrien cautiously opened the box and gasped. It was his mother's old necklace. It was gold with a colored peacock feather as the pendant. His father got it for her in replacement of an engagement ring. Gabriel always told Adrien his mother hated traditions like that, and she was spontaneous; but she was also regal and graceful, just like the peacock, so he had a special necklace created just for her. It was an original masterpiece, just like her.

Adrien almost felt like crying, but he needed to stay strong for his father. His father believed in him whole heartedly, both for going on the trip alone and gaining possession of his most prized possessions, something extremely valuable to both of them. "Thank you, father, I will treasure this. Take care, I will be home in a matter of time," he said has he confidently mounted his horse. His father said nothing as he trotted down the road and past his line of view.

He had nothing left to say for his son, words couldn't describe how proud he was for how much of a man his son has grown to be.

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**Hello, beautiful people! Sorry for the delay, I had to edit this chapter for mistakes before posting... but at least it's a long chapter! ****I have quite a few chapters done, but I also have to edit those ones too, and I need to continue writing this story. I'm not even close to being done... Anyways, I thank all of you that has already followed/favorited this story, and hope more will come! Stay tuned!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, beautiful people! Sorry for the delay, this was an extra long chapter that I had to edit before posting. I've just discovered that each chapter gets progressively longer, which is a bad thing in my case, haha. Anyhow, I'm glad I finally get to post this chapter, and I hope I can find some time soon to write more on this story! Stay tuned, and enjoy!**

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Chapter 3

It was at least the third day after Adrien left that he made it to the last town before going off into the deep forest. He replenished any supplies he needed and checked if there were any weapons that might be useful in his journey. When done, he stayed the night and got a good rest before leaving early the next morning. He left just after dawn, grateful that the owner of the inn was so generous as to serve him a warm meal before his treacherous journey. Adrien didn't like telling people where he planned to go, but the old man and his wife were so kind to him, they felt like some distant relative. The man was surprised, but both encouraged him and gave him advice about the land and its creatures that he may encounter. With a smile on his face, he left the inn and fearlessly made his way into the forest.

It was just before dusk when he began to feel tired and hungry, and he could tell his horse was feeling the same. When he noticed to first star appear, he decided to stop for the night. As he tied and fed his horse, he began to set up camp when he heard the rustling of bushes behind him. Grabbing his sword from his scabbard, he whipped around to face the culprit, only to find a black cat sitting by the stump of a nearby tree. "Oh, hello there, little guy." The cat gave an irritated growl and trotted over to him, padding their paw against his pant leg. Getting the hint, Adrien bent down to pet the cat, only to find that the stomach was abnormally large. Gently picking the cat up, he realized that he was apparently a she, and she was expecting a litter soon. "Oh, sorry little lady. I didn't see how beautifully… full, you were." The cat gave him a quizzical glare before mewing in satisfaction. He began gently rubbing her face and petting her sides. When she began purring he decided to begin petting under her, feeling for her babies. He felt movement, and a lot of it, indicating she was expecting real soon. While he was feeling for babies, he felt her stomach rumbling. "Are you hungry young lady?" When she gave a soft 'meow,' he began looking through his bags for some sort of food that would be suitable for a cat. He gave a triumphant sigh when he found a small portion of chicken, his last portion.

"I'm sorry little lady, this is the last bit of meat I have." The cat tilted her head in confusion before he continued, "it's not much, but hopefully it will fill you for now, until you can go hunting yourself." He gently set the meat down in front of her, allowing her to sniff it before eating it quickly. He smiled to himself before looking through his bag again for more food. He didn't even hear anyone approach before he felt the tip of a sword in his lower back. Slowly he raised his hands in surrender, knowing he had no chance of grabbing his sword unless he wanted to be injured, and he didn't want to travel while wounded.

"That was a generous act on your part, giving your last bit of meat to a stray cat," a deep and raspy voice sneered behind him.

"It doesn't matter if she was a stray, she was hungry and she is expecting kittens soon."

"Yes, indeed she is," the voice agreed knowingly. Curious, Adrien tried turning around to get a look at the man holding him captive. Knowing this, the man sidestepped out of his view while still keeping the tip of his sword at his back. "Why would you do that though? It seems like you are on a long journey, you need the meat to keep your strength. So why would you give what you have left to a mangy stray?"

Insulted, Adrien whipped around not caring of what the consequences be. He saw a tall, well-built man standing before him. He wore all black, with all sorts of weapons on him. His sword was black as well, even the blade, with the exception of a large green jewel on the handle. He wore black gloves that were form-fitted, and looking up he found that there was black chainmail on his neck and chest. _He must be a warrior, having all these excessive precautions_. Looking up, he noticed his skin was also darker in color, giving a dark gold glow in the limited sunlight; he had jet-black hair that was kept messy, as if there was a strong gust of wind and he hasn't brushed it in days. What finally took him back, however, was his eyes; like his, they were green, but they had this strange glow to them as if the darkness didn't prevent the light from reflecting in them. If this man didn't intrigue Adrien's curiosity, the fierce glare he sent his way would have him running for the hills. However, not only due to his curiosity and the fact that his own father was always fiercer than him, this glare didn't deter him at all. "I don't care if she's a stray. She is an expectant mother, and I should know more than anything how important a mother to her children is. I will not have her becoming weak before she even has a chance to deliver," Adrien growled out as he returned with his own glare. Granted it wasn't as fierce, but he still tried. He needed this stranger to know his position, for him to know that he will not back down, whether it be in relation to the topic at hand or dominance.

The man seemed to consider his words for a moment before his intimidating glare turned into a satisfied smirk. "Good answer, kid," he commended before withdrawing his sword. "As I stated, pretty selfless, for a cat. But she thanks you for that. She is expecting sometime around midday tomorrow," he stated matter-of-factly as he turned away from Adrien.

Floored by the man's sudden turn in attitude, he was struck silent for a few seconds, until he registered what was just said. "How do you know she's expecting at such a specific time?" he couldn't help but ask.

The man gave a low chuckle, "it's because I'm her father, in a way. I can sense what she's feeling when her emotions are extreme enough. Besides, I'm good at reading people."

Wanting to test his theory about this man, he braved himself for his witty comeback. "Well, if you haven't noticed, she wouldn't be categorized with 'people.'" Adrien was surprised when the man barked out in laughter at his statement. He honestly didn't know what to expect, but laughter wasn't it.

"You've got spunk; I like that, kid," he stated with another smirk as he grabbed some wood and piled it up next to some logs.

"Uhm, thanks? But my name isn't kid. It's Adrien."

"Adrien, hm? So normal," he said with a playful sneer. "I prefer kid, kid."

Groaning, Adrien wiped his hand down his face, already done with the stranger who's acting like an old friend. "Whatever, I am a somewhat normal person anyways. Also, you don't seem much older than me."

"Trust me kid, I'm much older than you," he commented cryptically with a playful glint in his eyes. "You also seem to doubt my reading power, so let me enlighten you," he said in a boastful manner. "Let's see… By your stance, I would say you have manners befitting of a higher classman. Your equipment, including your sword, looks pretty expensive, so that only enforces my estimate. Your clothing doesn't look worn as if you're a normal traveler, so they must be new. Have I been wrong so far?" Dumbfounded, Adrien could only shake his head in negation. "Good. Now, last thing…" he hesitated before continuing, as if to build suspense. "You do seem like you're pretty far from home, and in this forest no less." His face hardened as he tilted his chin downward. "The only people who travel to this land are looking for something, something hidden. You wouldn't happen to be looking for the Ladybug kingdom, would you?"

Adrien's blood ran cold at how accurate this man's guesses were becoming, and being caught in the act. He was still staring at Adrien, expecting an answer to his accusation. Swallowing and steeling his nerves, he voiced the confirmation. A beat of silence ensued, weakening Adrien's resolve ever so slightly, before the man broke into a manic smile. Adrien didn't know how to react to the man's confusing action, before the man spoke again. "Well, you seem to be going a long way to find an imaginary kingdom. How do you know if it's real, and if it's in this direction at all?"

"My good friend studied the histories, sightings, and rumors of the kingdom and made a map for me."

"Huh, so you trust your friend's guesses?" he questioned with a quirk of his brow.

"Of course."

"Interesting. So your friend must be intelligent. You must be proud to have him as a friend with how you display your confidence in him."

"Actually," Adrien started awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck, "my friend who made the map is a woman…"

"Oh," the stranger stated, surprised. "And a woman's intuition is hardly ever wrong," he mumbled. Adrien was about to question, before he was interrupted again, "why don't you hurry and get your food, it's getting dark and we need some sleep for our journey."

"Excuse me, _our_ journey?"

"Well, yes. You do want to go to the kingdom, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. Are you looking for it too?" Adrien became more and more curious about this strange man. He claimed to be older, but looked not much older than in his thirties, but his knowledge and wit made him seem like an elderly man. His excitement was palpable, until the man smirked once more, causing him to grow suspicious again.

"In a way, yes. Although, my search will not be as random as yours, kid."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it would be weird if I didn't know how to get back home, wouldn't it?" he said as his smirk deepened. Adrien took a few moments to process what was just said, before his eyes widened comically. "Before you ask, yes, I live in the kingdom when I'm not traveling. I also make sure that travelers, or trespassers, don't get too close to the border."

Registering those cryptic hints, Adrien felt as if they were familiar in some fashion. He gave a slight gasp as he though he might've figured out this man's identity. "So, you must be the kingdom's protector, the god of destruction…"

"That's right. The name's Plagg, Kwami of misfortune and destruction, protector of the Ladybug kingdom, at your service, kid," he introduced himself smugly, offering a hand to Adrien who hesitantly shook it with his own. "So, if you're traveling all this way to find it, your wish must be pretty important to you."

"So the legend is true? If one were to find the kingdom, they are granted a wish?"

"Yes, it is true, as long as it's possible."

"As long as it's possible?"

"Yes, there are certain boundaries one cannot cross, although those kind of wishes are highly unlikely."

"Like, what?"

"As in, aid in a selfish war for instance. Us kwamis are only called into the human world to aid the balance in power. We haven't been called in centuries, which is good for you humans, but we won't aid unless absolutely necessary. Anything involving powers and aid in any sort of fighting is prohibited. Humans by themselves create enough destruction as it is without our help, and that's saying something from the god of destruction," Plagg ended solemnly.

"Yes, I know," Adrien agreed shamefully for the human race, knowing that the man was correct in his assumptions.

"Now I'm curious to know what sort of wish you have that will bring you all the way to this part of the world."

"Well, it's," he stopped himself, because he didn't even know. "It's complicated. I have an idea, but I haven't chosen a wish yet…" he ended awkwardly. With an annoyed grunt, Plagg seemed to drop the topic, much to Adrien's relief. They each collected firewood for their dinners and began eating after a while. It was a somewhat comfortable silence: the men seemed to trust each other, despite being total strangers. The only thing that unnerved Adrien was the fact that sometimes he could sense Plagg staring at him, and when he would look his suspicions were confirmed. At first, Plagg would look away as if he didn't do anything, but eventually he wouldn't care what Adrien thought and continued staring while eating his food. Wanting to have a topic to distract the strange man, he said the first thing that came to his mind, "so is the kingdom as vast and magnificent as the legend claims?"

Somewhat startled out of some stupor he was in, Plagg set down whatever utensils he had and looked up to the sky, with a fond smile on his lips. "Oh yes, it's quite beautiful."

Adrien felt satisfied about not having Plagg staring into his soul anymore, but then again annoyed with Plagg's cryptic answer. "So? Is there anything you are able to tell be about it?"

Plagg looked at Adrien through the corner of his eye, body still not moving from his position of looking at the stars, and gave Adrien a mischievous smirk. "Yes, there's plenty I can tell you. But do I really want to…?" he asked rhetorically to no one in particular. Adrien gave a dejected sigh before he heard Plagg's deep chuckle. "You're too much fun to mess with kid. Granted, I haven't been to the kingdom for at least 6 years, but it shouldn't have changed much. Nothing has really changed in the last few centuries, in fact. Well, perhaps just the inhabitants."

"Oh, I would assume there's more citizens in the kingdom?" Adrien asked. He wanted to know exactly what he meant with 'inhabitants,' but he assumed it was with their so-called 'children' as Plagg referred to that mother cat earlier.

"Well, not really citizens. As you most likely know, we don't really allow humans into our kingdom, so most of the inhabitants are our children. I have my cats and kittens, there are turtles, foxes, peacocks, bees, butterflies, and my favorite, ladybugs."

"Why are ladybugs your favorite?"

"Because," Plagg hesitated in order to look Adrien in the eyes for a split second before looking back up at the stars and closing his eyes, "the mother of the ladybugs is my mate."

"Wait… so, kwamis can have mates with each other?"

"Technically yes, but otherwise kwamis can mate with humans. However, that hasn't been done in centuries. In a way, Tikki is my soulmate. She represents good luck and creation, while I balance her out with bad luck and destruction."

"That… actually makes sense. So it's somewhat like Yin and Yang in Chinese lore?"

Plagg gave an amused chuckle before looking at Adrien again. "Exactly like Chinese lore. However, I guess you could say that Tikki is the Yang and I the Yin. The lore is actually based on us."

"Isn't it the other way around?"

"What do you mean?"

"I thought it was more of the man as the Yang, and the woman as the Yin."

"That part of the history was exaggerated. She is the sun, and I am her shade and the moon. That is how our powers are balanced."

Adrien couldn't say anything due to his surprise at his statement. He could only watch in confusion as Plagg continued to laugh at him, and apparently his expressions. Soon he schooled himself and asked something that confused him. "What would happen if a kwami, uhm, married a human?"

"Us kwamis don't marry. I know you humans form a contract through marriage to be as one until death, but it's implied for us kwamis. We have mates, and mates stay as one for eternity. As it goes, if a kwami decided to mate with a human, it depends on how much they love each other on if the kwami officiates the marriage."

"What if they have children?"

"That hasn't happened in a long time… but if a kwami were to have a child with a human, nothing would really change. At some point, the kwami would have to erase all magic that could transfer to the human. A human with magic could be catastrophic unless trained properly, and that's saying something if I say so myself."

"So what does that mean?"

"It mostly involves just erasing the bloodline. And no, I don't mean through death," he added when Adrien's eyes widened. "To erase a kwami bloodline, they must recite a certain spell. It's difficult, yes, but possible. However, kwamis normally don't bond with humans in such a way. It's far too painful to create a family only for it to disappear in the blink of an eye. We live for centuries, we are hardly ever injured. Humans live at most a century if they are lucky. It only ends in pain for most. I've never dealt with it personally, but the other kwamis have. We have a kwami that goes and 'has fun on the town,' as you young humans call it," he waved a hand at Adrien's blush. "But others have simply tried to create some sort of relationship, whether it be romantic or not."

"So kwamis still travel outside the kingdom?"

"They haven't in the last century or so, but they could at any time. I'm not sure, I have a feeling Trixx still does, but I haven't talked to them in a while."

"Trixx? Isn't that the fox kwami?"

"Yes, it is. He's mischievous, so of course he wouldn't truly seek a real relationship. 'It's too hassle some,' as he quoted before."

"Oh. So, you said that humans with a kwami parent could inherit their power. Has that happened before?"

"Yes, centuries ago. In fact, it was so long ago that any records of the event is probably destroyed by now. We established the rule of erasing their powers when they began collecting themselves and tried ruling over other humans as if they were gods. They even tried overpowering us."

"Oh. So, you have no one to inherit your powers?"

"Nowadays, we can lend our powers to certain humans, but we don't do that often."

"That's not mentioned in the legend."

"Of course not. If it was, more people would try to find the kingdom, and I would have to work harder to keep people out."

"So is there anyone right now?"

"Anyone what?"

"You know, anyone inheriting a kwamis power?"

"Oh. Actually, yes, there is."

Adrien was shocked, to say the least. He didn't know that could be possible, but having someone in the world able to harness a kwamis power? "Where is this person? What are they like?"

"Hold up kid, what makes you think I'll tell you?" Plagg sassily asked with a quirked brow.

"Well… I hoped you could tell me, so I'd know what kind of person is lucky enough to have been bestowed with such a feat," Adrien ended nervously while scratching his neck.

Plagg gave him a melancholy smile. "Oh, she's not that lucky on her road to power."

"Wait, the person bestowed with a kwamis power is a woman?"

"Yes, she is. She actually has the power of two kwamis." Adrien's eyes widened comically wide once again, while also dropping his jaw. Plagg would've laughed, but this was a touchy subject.

"Can… can I please hear her story?"

"It's not really my story to tell, but I'm the one with the most insight," Plagg got into a more comfortable position, though it was more of a serious sort of crouch. Adrien sensed it was a difficult story to tell, so he mirrored Plagg's position, getting comfortable so he could pay attention to the story. "It seemed like so long ago, I was traveling the lands like always, and I found myself wandering all the way back to China. I would travel the known roads most of the time, finding towns and villages to ensure there's no evil of any sort that humans can't handle.

"One day, I was traveling along the road when I smelt smoke. Looking up, I did indeed see smoke, so I began walking to the source. As I got closer, the smell of smoke began to mix with the smell of blood. I increased my pace until I found myself in the village. It was completely destroyed; doors and windows broken into, houses on fire, and blood covered the snow. I wandered around the village and noticed that it wasn't some random attack, it was a massacre. It seemed all war-able men were brought to the center of the village and beheaded. The women, children, and elderly were all slaughtered in their homes or where they stood. It was the most gruesome sight I've seen in decades," he took a moment to catch his breath, still having a hard time with the terrible memory, which surprised Adrien, because Plagg was the kwami of destruction. "As I wandered through the village, I happened upon some tracks. They were the tracks of horses, about 3, and there was blood trailing their tracks. I followed it of course, hoping the men were still close. What I wasn't expecting was a random scatter of blood upon a bank. It looked like someone was injured, but continued running into the dense forest. The horse tracks ended along the hedge before continuing down to the main road. Curious as the cat I am, I followed the blood trail, that only got worse as it continued. More blood was spilled by the meter, and the tracks seemed to trudge together. There were some trees marred with blood as well, and I assumed it was from someone of shorter height that tried to find some balance along the tree. I continued for a few more minutes, before I saw a lump of human half covered in fallen snow. I walked up to the body, expecting an animal to be close, only to notice that the human was still, miraculously, alive.

"As I neared, she weakly rolled herself over to peer at me. I could see the younger woman quickly losing life as she fearfully looked at me. I could tell there was nothing I could do to help her; it was imminent that she would die within a few minutes. The least I could do was to try to console her as she took her last breaths, when she called to me. 'Please, please help me,' she begged. I didn't have the heart to tell her that she couldn't be helped, so I just nodded. Her fear-filled eyes seemed to glint before she looked down to her chest. I didn't realize until then that she was holding a sleeping baby in her arms, only a few months old. It surprised me to see such a young infant still unaffected by the cold. She asked me if I could take her daughter to a safe place, somewhere where she could find happiness. I didn't know what to say, for the first time I was speechless. As I was about to take the infant, the woman kissed her child's forehead, whispered 'I love you,' and told me that her name was Marinette.

"As soon as I took the baby, the woman became limp and lifeless. The baby was still unaware of everything that was going on, but I knew she would have a difficult life ahead of her. Knowing that I still had work to do, I stuck her inside my cloak to ensure her warmth and destroyed all the villagers' bodies, including the village itself, and gave them a proper memorial. Within a day, I found the band of thieves and took it upon myself to slaughter every single man for their crimes against the innocent."

"So, how did she get her powers then? What happened to her?" Adrien asked after a few minutes of silence passed.

"I tried many times to give her to a new family, or at least to an orphanage, but something told me I shouldn't. One day, I looked into her eyes, and I saw this innocent happiness and warmth that I haven't seen before. Back then, I didn't have much of a soft spot for humans, but the look on that baby's face… it melted me. I couldn't just leave her. Humans are cruel and don't know how to protect the ones they love. At least, the ones that I have seen. So, I steeled my resolve and took her back to the kingdom with me. The other kwamis were confused as to why I had a human child, but I had to converse with Tikki first. You see, kwamis can't have their own children, but Tikki always wanted to have a child, and that was why she was adamant about seeing all the children she could when she traveled. She was surprised, to say the least, when I walked in with a tiny bundle in my arms. I told her what happened to her village, and how I tried to give her up but I couldn't. She gave me a knowing smile and looked upon the baby's face. She too fell in love with the child, so we decided to raise her as our own. I continued my travels of course, but I returned more often to pay her and Tikki a visit. She grew up fast, and soon picked up some magic tricks from Tikki, along as from the other kwamis.

"So, over the years, Tikki and the others have taught her their magic and how to use them in certain situations. However, before she became a teenager, we established some boundaries with her magic. She couldn't pass a specific point in her skills with other kwamis, only with Tikki's magic and Noroo's magic, just in case he wished to travel again."

"Wow, so how old is she now?"

"Why, is there a specific reason, loverboy?" Plagg asked with a knowing glint in his eye and a smirk.

"No, I'm just curious. I haven't heard of a village burning down recently, so-"

"Of course not. The village, for one, was a secluded clan, and I had to completely cover it up. Two, I was messing with you again, kid. You're so easy to trick," he commented with an amused smile. Adrien released a calming breath, not knowing what Plagg would have done if he showed some sort of interest in his adopted daughter. "She is 20 as of right now. She will be 21 years of age this fall," he said with a happy sort of smile on his face. His once fierce green gaze softened to a warmer grass-color green. Adrien couldn't help but smile for him. Plagg seemed like a somewhat lonely man who continuously traveled and was serious about his job. But knowing that he had a loving family waiting at home, he could tell he was still happy.

"It seems like you miss them," he commented off-handedly.

"Yes, indeed I do," Plagg responded softly.

"Then what's preventing you from returning?"

Plagg took a deep breath before hardening his face again and looking at Adrien. He gulped at how harsh his glare was, but knowing full well it wasn't directed at him. "Centuries ago, if either Tikki or I bestowed our power to anyone, the other would do the same. It is the unspoken agreement between us, in order to balance the world. Just about 6 years ago, I chose a young man who sought the kingdom to be my wielder. He was a bright young man, good at heart, and creative. He sounded perfect for Marinette. Much older perhaps, as he was about 23 while she was 14, but I thought they would get along. When they met, they seemed friendly to each other. They laughed and shared stories and even artwork with each other, while I trained him on how to use his powers. After about a month, I couldn't find him anywhere for his training, so I went to look for him, because I'm pretty impatient," he released a soft chuckle while Adrien did the same. "I eventually found him in the gardens, with Marinette, no less. They were talking while laying down on the grass beneath a tree. However," he paused momentarily, allowing Adrien to see his fierce gaze return once more. "What I thought was a human sort of playful banter, was actually an attack. His body hovered over hers as he pinned her legs down with his and held her hands above her head with one hand and muffled her assumed screaming as he kissed her. What really riled me up was when I noticed his other hand had his claws and he was undoing the front of her dress," he finished with a low growl escaping him. Adrien couldn't blame him. He was a total stranger to his family, yet he felt that he wanted to slash the man's throat.

"With a loud growl, I ripped Theo off of Marinette and began fighting with him. Although he was surprised at first, he began fighting me as well, claiming that I had no right to stop what he was doing. Finally fed up, I decided to play dirty to threw him to the ground. Just as I was about to pull my cataclysm on him, a voice yelled at me to stop. Looking up, I noticed that it was Marinette who yelled that. Tikki was standing beside her, covering Marinette with a shawl to cover herself. Tikki was surprised at first due to our fight, but when she looked at Theo's face, her face turned into a scowl." Plagg chuckled before he continued in a slightly more light-hearted fashion. "Let me tell you, I thought that I was scary when mad, but if truth be told, Tikki is most likely the scariest kwami one could mess with. 'Never mess with a mother's wrath,' as you humans say. Anyways, as she approached Theo and I, I stepped back, allowing her full access to do as she wished. With her power, she created a metal cage and tied chains to his wrists and ankles to the bars. 'If you truly wish to act like a barbaric animal, then expect to be treated as a barbaric animal,' she said as she turned on her heel and marched into the castle, gently pushing a shaking Marinette along. Smirking, I relinquished my powers from him so he was just a man. We made him stay in that cage for three days and nights without food and little water. On the fourth day, we released him and gave him a small supply of food and water along with his original possessions before banishing him from the kingdom, not allowing him to return again. Before he left, we erased all his memories of this place, and I cursed him as he left," Plagg finished smugly.

"May I ask how you cursed him?" Adrien ask amusedly.

"Hmm… it was really a combination. He will have little to no luck with ladies, and if he does get lucky, he won't experience the joy of having cute children," Plagg ended with a snicker.

Adrien was a little shocked that Plagg would go so far and seem to enjoy that curse, but it somewhat made sense. This Marinette was like a daughter to him, and she was attacked. If that was Adrien's daughter, he felt the consequences would be far more severe. "Well, I would hate to be in his shoes then, with the curse and all."

"I think anyone would be. Unfortunately, neither Tikki nor Marinette would let me curse him so he would be infertile. But this punishment is better. Still a little dark, but oh well."

"How often does she leave the kingdom?" Adrien regretted the question as soon as he said it. Plagg's face now seemed… upset? Disappointed?

"She hasn't left the kingdom. At least not yet. I tried to convince Tikki to at least let me take her out for a day or two, but she refuses. She claims that the balance would be tipped, no matter if I was there with her, or something could happen to her like last time."

"Last time?"

"Yes. Last time we took her into a smaller human village, she found another child her age, but he was injured. She tried performing a simple healing spell on him, when an older man saw and cursed her for being a witch, so the villagers began throwing stones at her. I fought a few men off while Tikki ran with her. Marinette got a few bruises and cuts, but she also became scared of humans. That's why I tried to find another human for my wielder, but I believe that experience has left her even more traumatized," he finished with a sad sigh.

Before Adrien continued, he heard the flapping of small wings, and noticed Plagg's expression softened just a little. "Ah, speak of the devil." Just as he said that, he reached a finger out and allowed a small white butterfly land on his finger. Adrien was about to ask when he felt a slight movement on his head. He tried to look but it was too high. When Plagg laughed at him, Adrien returned it with a glare, which ended up being a pout, and the second white butterfly landed on one of his hands. "Hello, sweet tooth," Plagg introduced with an amused smirk.

A strange feeling came to Adrien as he heard another voice sigh and respond, "you know how I don't like that nickname, Plagg." Adrien looked around to try to find a woman hiding in the trees, but found nothing, only feeling the butterfly's wings flap slightly faster to gain his attention. Whoever was on the other end, seemed to be slightly irritated in a playful sense. "I sensed your presence close to the border, is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong. Just happened upon a traveler."

"Oh?" the woman voiced skeptically.

"Yes, and before you ask, he isn't like Theo. Not in the least."

"I would hope not. I know you're bad luck, Plagg, but I don't want your bad luck rubbing off on Marinette."

"She probably already has it," he retorted with a wave of his hand. "You know how the kid drops things and trips over air."

"She might not be graceful all the time, but she knows how to pick herself up when she's down."

"I know who she got that from, love," Plagg replied smoothly, which earned him a cute giggle from the woman.

"Oh, Plagg, you're such a flirt. Let's hope the young man isn't like you."

"Hey! I take offense to that! If this kid is anything like me, I would be proud! I think Mariposa would love to have a man like myself," he boasted as he dramatically placed a hand on his chest. Adrien blushed at the prospect of the two supposed kwamis talking about him possibly being with Marinette, but couldn't help but to chuckle at Plagg's dramatics, earning him a playful glare.

"I deeply apologize, my name is Tikki, Kwami of good luck and creation, Plagg's other half in the balance of life. Who might you be?"

"Oh, my name is Adrien Agreste, Madame," he introduced politely, albeit his stutter at the beginning.

Tikki giggled on the other end before responding, "no madame is needed, Tikki works just fine."

"Of course." Adrien didn't know really what else to say, so Plagg saved it.

"Speaking of the little bug, where is she? Why isn't she on the wings?"

"Marinette had to tend to Duusu and her small flock; some eggs hatched today, many more than expected, so she asked Marinette to help."

"Of course Mariposa helped, she's too sweet, like someone I know."

"Oh Plagg, you know she picks up traits from both of us. For instance, she picked up her clumsiness and sass from you, and her dislike for your puns and nicknames from me."

"That is a lie and you know it!" Plagg playfully accused. "She loves my puns and nicknames, and I may be sassy, but she learned her wit from you."

"Why thank you."

It took a few moments for what Tikki said to register in Plagg's mind before he groaned, "I walked right into that, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did, honey," Tikki giggled as Adrien shared a smile and a nod in confirmation.

"Traitor," Plagg accused towards Adrien before he busted into laughter.

"Now that that issue is settled, let's get back to our topic. Plagg, are you planning on bringing Adrien along with you?"

"Yes, in fact I am."

"So he is your new Chosen? Does he need training?"

"I honestly doubt that the kid needs more training. I can tell he could be a great warrior. The only thing he would possibly need training on is his sense of humor," he added, sending a mischievous smirk to Adrien, who replied with a snort.

"If he's as sweet as he looks, then his image doesn't need to be tainted with your outdated sense of humor."

"Outda- my humor isn't outdated! Humans still pun!"

"Yeah yeah, but us kwamis don't. Now you two be careful, I expect to see you tomorrow," and with that, the two butterflies flew back to where they came from.

"Tomorrow? That's pretty soon."

"Of course. It'll take a couple hours, but we'll be there before noon. Now, it's time for some shuteye, it's getting late. Good night kid," Plagg mumbled before he turned away from Adrien. It took Adrien a few minutes to calm down his nerves before he finally fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, beautiful people! I've finally proof read this chapter, and I'm excited to see what you all think! Rereading it, it made me smile and even laugh at a few things that happen. You will meet new people, so be prepared to have an open mind on my interpretation. I appreciate criticism/comments! Enjoy!**

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Chapter 4

"So, what is this Marinette like?" Adrien asked after they set off. They have traveled for about thirty minutes before they spoke, seeing how Plagg wasn't really a morning person.

"What's she like?" he repeated confusedly.

"Yes, what are her personality traits?"

"Huh, you have to be one of the few humans to actually be curious about a woman's personality."

"I guess; not a lot of men are interested, but if I intend on becoming friends with her, I would like to know about her first."

"Hmm, let's see… Well, she's a lot like my wife. She's smart, creative, kind, and beautiful. However, she differs because she's a lot more mischievous than Tikki. She's also sassy, has a better sense of humor. One could thank me for that," Plagg boasted as he dramatically placed a hand on his chest, oblivious to the snort Adrien gave due to him covering his mouth. "I would say she's a perfect mix between Tikki and I, seeing how we are her guardians."

"Sounds… interesting," Adrien finished lamely. He already felt like he might like this Marinette, but it was hard to tell because Plagg was still being pretty vague. Tikki sounded nice, but he only heard her voice, so it was hard to tell what her and Marinette were like.

"I guess there is something different… she somewhat has the luck of a black cat," Plagg continued. He noticed Adrien giving him a questioning look, so he continued. "Not only the two stories I told you last night, but she also seems to be clumsy most of the time. She has her graceful moments, but she's clumsy most of the time. It's actually kind of funny," he snickered. "She hurts herself a lot –"

"How is seeing someone hurt themselves considered funny?!" Adrien questioned in shock.

"Not the fact that she hurts herself. Honestly, she hardly hurts herself, just trips or knocks things over. It's just funny because she's supposed to be Tikki's chosen, which means she represents good luck, but it seems that I crossed her path a few too many times," he snickered again at his pun, which made Adrien roll his eyes good-naturedly. They went into a comfortable silence as the time spanned on, the only noises being from the horses and occasionally Plagg yawning.

Eventually, they came to a clearing, which Plagg indicated for Adrien to stop and dismount from his horse. Adrien did as told, albeit hesitantly. Looking around, Plagg did the same and knelt to the ground. He took out a small dagger, just like his sword: black blade and handle, but instead of a green jewel it had intricate silver designs. Adrien watched in curiosity as Plagg drew an ancient rune of some sort before making a hand sign and chanting a spell. Before he can question it, a dark green barrier began to surround them in the treeline. It wasn't until the rune in the ground stopped glowing that Plagg stood up with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Uhm, what was that all about?"

"I created a barrier."

"I can see that, but why?"

"I need to give you my blessing."

His wording made Adrien jolt. "W-wait, b-b-blessing?!"

"Yes, kid. You need my blessing in order to get my powers. You need my powers to get into the kingdom. Don't you remember, or were you spacing out on me?"

"Oh, no, I knew that," Adrien awkwardly responded while scratching the back of his neck. _Of course that's what he meant, what else would he say?_

"What, did you think I was giving you my blessing for Marinette's hand?"

"What? Are you crazy?! Of course not!" Adrien practically shouted. He hoped the heat in his cheeks was from the sun and not from blushing, but from Plagg's mischievous look he doubted it.

"Good, because although I can tell you're a good kid, I'm not giving her up just yet," he said lightly. Well, Adrien hoped it was light due to his jovial tone, but he could clearly see that Plagg's eyes darkened slightly almost in warning but also… something else. Was it, protectiveness? He could see that, seeing how Plagg was practically her father.

"You don't need to worry, Plagg. I have no intentions to do such things, especially not like that other man did. I am a man of my word," he stated sincerely as he held his left hand parallel to the side of his body and his right above his heart.

Plagg could tell that Adrien was serious about his pledge, just by looking him in his eyes. Animals did have a knack for telling if people were good. Although he messed up once, he was sure he wouldn't mess up again. He had confidence in this kid. With a nonchalant nod of his head, he beckoned Adrien close to him. Adrien hesitantly walked over towards Plagg until he was about a meter away. Plagg stood a good few inches taller than Adrien, even if Adrien stood as straight as he could; he still had to look up to make eye contact. He didn't notice the height difference before. Plagg tried and almost failed to hide his low chuckle at this discovery before he shifted to hold out his hand to Adrien, motioning him to do the same.

Adrien gave him a brief curious glance before complying, giving Plagg his right hand. Plagg gently grabbed it and slightly lifted his middle finger. It was then that Adrien noticed he was holding a silver ring, which was currently being placed on his lifted finger.

"I, Plagg, god of destruction and misfortune, give Adrien Agreste my blessing to bestow my powers. The oath to defend and protect the honor of the innocent. The promise to be there if any imbalance occurred, and to correct it if needed," he paused as he retrieved his dagger once more, slicing a small opening on his finger and dropping blood on the ring. He handed the dagger to Adrien to do the same, who quickly did so. "And now, with the blood of mortal man and immortal kwami, the contract is sealed," Plagg finished loudly, followed by a bright green light emitting from the ring.

After a couple moments, Adrien opened his eyes to see Plagg smiling down to him, surprisingly gentle. Adrien looked down to see the once silver ring now black, pulsating a green glow from it. He raised a questioning brow and looked to Plagg, who simply crossed his arms in a mixture between boastfulness and amusement?

"Go ahead kid, all you need to say is 'claws out'."

"Okay… Claws out!" he said more confidently than he felt. Right away, he felt a strange tingle begin on his head, which quickly spread to his face and down the rest of his body. After the green flash dissipated, he looked down to see his entire body clothed in black. From the feet, he wore steel toed boots all in black, except for the toes, which seemed to look like paws. His pants seemed to be a tight black leather as well; form fitting but comfortable and easy to move around in. His shirt seemed to be made of the same material, and was skin-tight as well, but it seemed to show off his natural muscle better. His shirt continued along his arms, where he noticed he wore gloves that seemed to have claws at the fingertips. While at this side angle, he noticed a light reflecting from something and, looking down, his chin hit a small metallic ball at his collar; curious, he hit it with his claw and a resounding 'ting' followed suit, making Plagg chuckle.

"It's not really my favorite part of the suit, but Tikki thinks it's adorable to place on my kittens."

"Y-your kitten?" Adrien asked confusedly.

"Yes, whomever attains my power becomes my kitten. It's kwami law. With these powers, you are now accepted as part of the kwami race, considering you're human. My children are all cats around the world, you included, kid," he finished with a satisfied smirk.

Adrien felt honored by his words, but then again, he felt harmlessly peeved at Plagg for calling him his kitten. Apparently, his emotion showed because he felt something move atop his head and something touch his rear end. He released a startled yelp and turn around to glance behind him, seeing no one there. He felt movement on his head again, so he reached up to feel what it was and found two appendages on top, and startled himself again when he felt movement behind him again. He turned once more and glanced to Plagg, whose face was unreadable due to being behind a hand. He released an exasperated sigh and stood tall again, placing his hands on his hips.

"Kid, you do remember that I gave you powers to be Chat Noir right?" Adrien nodded in confirmation. "That means, you quite literally turn into a cat." It took a moment for Adrien to piece together what he said, before it all clicked. Instead of moving his whole body, he just turn his head, and indeed found a long tail trailing behind him made of leather as well. The sun also decided to grace itself at that precise moment, showing Adrien his shadow, which did seem to show that he had cat ears as well. "Well, you took it a lot better than Theo did," Plagg said surprised but happily.

"Yeah, well, it's only logical to turn into a cat after all you said just a moment ago…" Adrien admitted with a sheepish smile. "Sorry for doubting you…"

"Nah, don't sweat kid. You humans tend to be more sheltered and less optimistic than other creatures. Each human I bestowed my powers to had to take a while to get used to it, so far you took the least amount of time, which makes it easier to just move on." After a moment he got a meter closer to Adrien, which made him tilt his head slightly in confusion once more. "Gimme your hand kid."

After Adrien gave him his hand, Plagg opened it and faced his palm up before chanting a spell, causing his palm to pulse. "Alright, this first power is called 'cataclysm,' and your end is simple. You just have to lift your hand and say 'cataclysm,' and it will appear. Just know, the cataclysm is an energy power, so even though you can use the power multiple times, it will drain your energy each time you use it. Be careful, you can die if you use too much energy without replenishing."

Adrien gulped before continuing, "I will ensure to not go that far, Plagg. Are there… other powers? I mean, I don't want to sound over eager or anything, but is there anything else I need to know before we continue?"

"Hmm, no you don't sound over eager, in fact all my chosens asked about the other powers they can unleash, some even demanded I teach them right away. There are several powers you can achieve, but I will not teach them to you. When you are Chat Noir, the time will come when cataclysm won't work, but another spell will come naturally to your mind and you can cast it. You will understand when the time comes," he finished cryptically. He looked up to the sky and noticed it was around noon, so he began to head back to the horses. "Well we better get going. We are almost there, and we can't have the ladies waiting. Tikki gets impatient pretty fast, she gets mad every time I'm late."

"What about Marinette?"

"Ah. As I said earlier, she took a lot from me, she has the misfortune of running late to most things," he said as he snickered to himself. Adrien was lost and wanted to ask, but was beaten to it. "The little bug tends to stay up late and sleep in during the day, just like a cat. She always sleeps past any sort of wake-up call. So it's understandable that Tikki would be a little peeved at her for being late all the time. But buginette herself doesn't get mad or impatient for other peoples' tardiness."

"Oh, that's good. What will Tikki do if we are late?"

"Eh, she'll lightly scold me when we get there and depending on her mood she might scold me even more when we are by ourselves. But it's nothing I can't handle," he commented as he was mounting his horse. "Besides, it's entertaining seeing Tikki trying to be mad. Most of the time I'm not in the mood for her corrections so I just agree with whatever she says. However, sometimes, being the cat I am, I like to indulge her. I tease her right back whenever she's in her mood, and her only response is to puff her cheeks and continue. Her face gets a little red sometimes from my comments, making her freckles show more, and it only fuels to my laughter."

"It sounds like all you know how to do is aggravate her," Adrien said with slight amusement.

"Eh, sort of. I think if it was anyone else, they would've left by now. But Tikki knows she's my world, and I try every time I see her to ensure she knows just that."

Adrien looks over and sees Plagg with a small smile on his face. He smiled himself, thinking that Plagg is lucky to have someone like that in his life, and he hoped he would be that lucky someday. He looked forward to check if he could see the palace, missing how Plagg gave him a knowing look.

It only took another 30 minutes to reach the palace, and Adrien was amazed. It wasn't as big as he thought it would be, but it was still magnificent in its own right. There was a lot more ground than castle, seeing how there were animals everywhere. Just like in legend, the animals represented the seven different kwamis. He could see foxes in the long grass, peacocks in the trees, turtles in the pond, cats around the fountain basking in the sun, and butterflies, ladybugs, and bees swarming everywhere, especially in the gardens. In his state of awe, he didn't notice Plagg silently laughing at him. "Hey kid, you'll catch ladybugs if you keep your mouth open like that. And let me tell you, enough cats and Chat's of mine have eaten ladybugs. I'm surprised Tikki hasn't said anything yet…" He finished quietly, allowing what he said to sink in. It took a moment, but Adrien finally got what the hint and closed his mouth, while his face blushed a bright pink. With a laugh, Plagg continued to lead Adrien to the stables to where they could leave the horses and go to the throne room.

It only took a few minutes for them to settle their horses and head to the throne room. Plagg stopped them as they arrived in front of the big doors. "Listen, although everyone here is nice, they might not be so trusting after my last Chat Noir. I would be on my best behavior if I were you," he warned.

"I always am, Plagg," he responded with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. With a nod of his head, Plagg opened the door and strode inside. Adrien took a deep, calming breath before following closely behind through the entrance. The first thing he saw was the row of windows along the left side, allowing some sunlight to come inside. The next was the four humans, or what appeared to be human, figures standing on either side of the throne. They all seemed to have an almost unreadable look on their faces, if anything they seemed sort of… mad. He tried not to look intimidated by them but wasn't sure if he succeeded. Upon further observation, he realized each person was themed after a different creature. _They must be the other kwamis_, he thought. Plagg then turned around with a stern look on his face, pointing to a spot on the floor. Following the hint, Adrien, or Chat, stood on the indicated spot while Plagg stood to the right and closest to the throne. Before he could ask, the room fell silent as a woman in red entered the room. She was tall, but not taller than him. She had pale skin, dark red hair that was tied up in two higher buns, and dark blue eyes. She wore a somewhat modern dress that was bright red at the top with black spots speckled all over that faded to dark red and black towards the bottom. She had a kind look in her eyes, but her face was stern.

The younger woman quickly looked around the room to the others before turning back to Chat. "So. You must be Plagg's new chosen, Chat Noir. Nice to finally meet you. I am Tikki, if you haven't already figured that out," she finished with a slight smile. Adrien responded in kind, but it felt slightly forced. She must've noticed, because then her smile grew more sincere. She turned to Plagg with a quizzical brow, before he cleared his throat and took over.

"This is my new Chosen, Chat Noir, and I have chosen him on my own free will after a test of my own volition. After much consideration, I have decided to bestow my powers unto him, as you can clearly see. I found him worthy and more of my powers, and I do hope you follow my lead and trust him as well," he finished confidently with a nod. The others seemed to consider his words, before turning back towards Tikki to see what was to happen next.

"Wise words, Plagg. Likewise, I also know what happened with the last Chat Noir as well, and even better than you all do, but that doesn't warrant for your premature judgement of this new Chat Noir. We will all have time to get to know him over the next few days while he stays here. But for now, the last member of our family is about to show up, so let us welcome her. Chat Noir, please be on your best behavior," she said with a small smile, and a somewhat knowing look in her eye.

He was about to ask when he heard soft footsteps coming from the doorway that Tikki came from just a moment ago. When he looked, he swore his jaw dropped to the floor. There, coming into the room, was perhaps the most beautiful woman he has ever laid his eyes upon. She too had pale skin, perhaps paler than Tikki, but perhaps it was due to her raven black hair that was pulled into a loose bun atop her head. Her bright bluebell eyes complimented her dark hair and pale features, in his opinion. She wore a cheongsam style dress with a twist; the top looked like the traditional style, but the bottom was more the French style of dress. The main colors were red and gold on the cheongsam, and the skirt was red with intricate black designs all the way to the bottom. The bright colors contrasted beautifully to her visage, and it almost distracted him from something behind her, and upon observation he saw that they were wings. _Butterfly wings_, he noted. From where they protruded from her back, they were clear, but they eventually blended into a rich blue color towards the edges; a blue that perfectly matches her eyes.

Altogether, he thought she was a beautiful angel. Someone that shouldn't have even existed, she was just too perfect. He was distracted from looking at her whole body to focusing on her face, which twisted into a soft smile. He swore he died and gone to heaven. Chat was paralyzed from her beauty. Adrien didn't think he was a vain man, but he had to admit that this young woman was so naturally beautiful that she shouldn't have been real.

"Hello, Chat Noir. My name is Marinette," she began. Her voice was even smoother than he hoped, and he was certain he was a goner. "I welcome you here to the Ladybug kingdom, as I am sure was your quest-" she continued. _She's so beautiful and graceful. I wonder what her personality is like? She's certainly nice, that's for sure. Wait, she's still talking, what was she saying again?_ "-safe, seeing how Plagg ran into you and led you here. I hope that while you spend the next few days here, we could become friends," she finished with a small but genuine smile. With a bow, she swiftly left the room, leaving Chat speechless. He wanted to follow her, but he was rooted to the spot. Suddenly he felt a clap to his back and was jolted back to reality. He turned and expected to see Plagg, but instead found a man in orange, black, and white. His pants seemed slightly torn towards the bottom, his shirt had torn sleeves and had a low-cut V-neck that showed his defined chest. His hair was bright orange towards the bottom, but a darker brown towards the roots, and it was tied in a lower pony. His face was a little longer than his own, but his jawline was wider, so it looked more muscular than his. He seemed very relaxed for someone who just met a complete stranger, given his smirk he wore; the same smirk that shows long, sharp canines, just like a fox.

"What's happening, pup? My name's Trixx, I'm the fox kwami," he smoothly introduced.

"Trixx, what have I told you about calling my kittens pups?" Plagg accused in a bored tone.

"Fine! Whatever, I'll just call him kit."

"Isn't that what you always call _your_ chosens?" Plagg said as he wiped a hand down half his face, glaring at the other kwami.

"That's enough arguing, you two. You know how Tikki will get if she hears you arguing after being separated for such a long time," said a woman in yellow as she approached them. Her dress was more… refined, but in a relaxed way. It seemed she liked to wear something akin to what the Greeks would wear. What were they called again? Oh yes, togas. Even though they were technically supposed to be rags, Adrien's keen eyesight could see that the yellow dress in fact had gold thread and jewelry elaborately sewn all around it. Her honey-blonde hair was done up in an elegant, braided bun with a gold comb holding it up, a comb with a bee designed in the center. It was pretty self-explanatory that she was the bee miraculous, Pollen.

"Ah, Pollen, the same queen bee you've always been. Nice to see you haven't changed a bit," Plagg sarcastically remarked. She glared at him and was about to give a snide remark back, when she was interrupted by another woman in blue.

"Please don't fight you two. It's been decades since we've all been together, why don't we enjoy it? And the fact that a new human has arrived should warrant us to be on our best behavior!" The new woman was dressed in a – in Adrien's opinion – over-dramatic gown, befitting of a ball. It had a corset top with long, lacy sleeves which ended with a ring to go around her middle fingers, while it poofed out largely past the waist. It wasn't too large, but large enough to hit anyone within a half-meter radius. She also wore a simple ruby necklace with matching earrings, and teal gauntlet-style bracelets on each arm, and a brooch that resembled peacock feathers on the front of said corset. Her hair was done up elegantly as if she were, in fact, attending a ball. She obviously felt that this was a special occasion, given how much work she put into dressing herself up.

"Just because a human's here, doesn't really make it an extravagant occasion. And it hasn't been decades, it's been a single decade, no need to be dramatic, Duusu," Plagg said, again, bored.

Her face seemed surprised for a moment, before she began crying and covered her face and fled to the throne to be embraced by Tikki. Adrien felt bad for her and was about to say something to Plagg when Trixx beat him to it. But instead of saying something, he first gave him a good whack on the head. "Now you've done it! She hasn't found something to cry about in weeks, and there she goes!"

"That's not at all surprising though; that's her thing, to be dramatic."

"If anything, you are the one who is dramatic," another new voice said from behind. Adrien turned and saw a man in greens and browns behind him, in robes that could most likely be described as 'monk-like'. His attire was simple, nothing entirely out of the norm, especially compared to a monk. The only difference was the greens included in the cloth and the bright green bracelet he had on his right wrist. Unlike a monk, however, his head was completely covered in short but thick brown hair. At first it seemed like he was just as emotionless as Plagg, but his eyes were a lot softer and comforting than his. "I think I remember once that you couldn't find a good tavern for weeks and decided to burn down a few buildings."

"Eh, they were abandoned buildings, no one cared about them anyways. It only encouraged the people to build something new anyways."

"While that may be true, that was still the result of your short temper and dramatics. As I also recall, you didn't simply use cataclysm, you recited your fire spell in a loud chant, instead of quietly like the rest of us do," he concluded in finality.

Trixx, acting like a close friend, had his left arm resting on Plagg's shoulders the entire time, and after the new kwami finished his story he began to snicker. "Wayzz has you there, Plagg," he pointed out while Plagg glared and grunted.

"Yes, thank you Captain obvious."

"Hey, what's got you so down, buddy? Did someone step on your tail?" he teased.

"If you haven't noticed, nimrod, I don't have one in this form."

"Perhaps he didn't get enough sleep?" Wayzz guessed while looking towards Adrien. Adrien slightly panicked as all eyes were trained on him. He realized that what was said was actually a question and cleared his throat to answer.

"We did wake up at dawn in order to arrive around noon."

"Ha! Was the scary tom-cat grumbling for a while as you guys rode in?" Trixx asked, although it seemed like it was a rhetorical question.

"Yes, he did, for a good hour or so," Adrien answered. Trixx laughed out loud while Pollen giggled softly and Wayzz smiled knowingly. Adrien began to smile at the close comradery they seemed to share before he looked back to Plagg, only to gulp when he saw the glare Plagg sent his way. It was as if he wanted to fight Adrien here and now. Adrien honestly didn't know how well he'd fare in a fight against him. Sure, he's been fencing about all his life, being a young lord and all, but most likely so has Plagg, and he's thousands of years older than him.

"Oh stop it Plagg, you're scaring the poor young man," a gentle and familiar voice said. Looking, he noticed it was Tikki, who was gently pulling along a tear-stained Duusu beside her. She seemed better, but her eyes looked a little dull. "He was only answering a question and speaking the truth. It's not like we wouldn't have known anyway. We've known you for millennia, we knew you acted that way even without Adrien informing us," she accused in a matter-of-fact way.

"Yeah, whatever," Plagg grumbled as he looked away. Tikki giggled at his nonchalant answer and his behavior, and quickly sauntered over to him to give him a peck on his cheek.

"I've missed you too, tomcat." Adrien wasn't too sure, but he could've sworn he saw a faint blush on Plagg's cheeks, along with a small, soft smile on his lips. Looking around, he noticed that someone was missing from the room. As if reading his thoughts, Plagg asked the question that was at the tip of his tongue, "Hey, where's the squirt?" Well, almost.

"Marinette, she hasn't finished her studies for the day. She's in her chambers."

"Haven't you ever heard of a day off, Tik?"

"She will have the next few days off Plagg, since you are back, and with a new chosen. She would've finished yesterday, but she got a little… distracted."

"If you mean that she took a short break which lasted hours designing, then I know all too well. She never changes," he retorted in a fond manner, with a soft smirk on his face.

"For someone who has been gone for at least six years, you seem to think you know a lot about her."

"Well then, love, tell me that I'm wrong." The longer she didn't answer him, the bigger his smirk grew, to the point where Adrien thought he looked just like a Cheshire cat. Eventually, she puffed her cheeks with a gentle blush, not daring to move closer or further from the cat. "Looks like I do know the little bug, huh?" he laughed as he stalked closer to his wife. She only puffed her cheeks further, becoming more pink. Feeling cheeky, excuse the pun, he poked Tikki's cheek. She huffed and turned, about to walk out when Plagg reached out and hugged her from behind, laughing lowly.

"Okay, you two lovebirds. You're making all of us uncomfortable with her gushiness. Go to your room if you're going to continue," Trixx commented smugly with a smirk. Plagg turned and growled at Trixx, which only caused his smirk to grow, while Tikki just giggled along with Pollen. Duusu gasped with a deep blush adorning her cheeks, and Wayzz just sighed and shook his head, a soft smile on his face. Adrien just gaped at the insinuation but understood. Plagg, apparently, has been away for six years from his wife. It's the same analogy as a man being gone for war from his family. Still adorning a blush on his face, Adrien couldn't help but smile at the group, especially once he noticed Plagg was trying to hide his blush.

The only response Plagg could give was a tsk and turned his head, lightly taking Tikki with him. "I welcome you here to the Ladybug kingdom, Adrien," Tikki began quietly, pausing as she saw him stiffening. She waved a dismissing hand, "just relax, you are a guest to this castle. Go and do as you please, young man. Have fun!" she shouted as she rounded a corner, disappearing with Plagg in tow.

A few beats of silence ensued, until Pollen cleared her throat. "Well, that was… abrupt."

"Quite. But you can't blame him. A man on the road for as long as him-"

"Needs to have a little fun once in a while!" Trixx cut Wayzz off.

"Trixx! That was rude!" Duusu exclaimed.

"Indeed, you could have been a little more tactful," Wayzz added.

"Whatever, it was true. And I found it funny!"

"Well, something funny to you could be crude to someone else," Pollen stated.

"Please," Wayzz cut everyone off. "This is a momentous day! Even though Mademoiselle Marinette is studying for a little while, and Plagg and Tikki are off… spending time together," he coughed. "That doesn't mean we can't enjoy the day. Adrien," he called as he turned. "I do believe you had a long journey. Would you like some rest?"

"Rest?! Why would he want to rest when he just got here?" Trixx interrupted.

"He is the guest, and we must make him feel comfortable. Well, Monsieur Adrien?"

"You can just call me Adrien. And, although I'm a little tired, it's more of a physical tired than anything. Just as Trixx said, I just got here, so I'm more excited than tired, sir," he finished while rubbing the back of his head.

"See! I'm not crazy after all!" Trixx exclaimed as he clapped Adrien's back. "Also, there's no need of formalities between us, you can act like your normal self!"

Adrien started at Trixx's comment. Then he thought, _how would I act normally? Like, normal when I hang out with Nino or normal being around the mansion as the young lord?_ "O-Okay, I will," he gave a nervous smile.

Pollen, surprisingly, seemed to notice his unease, so with a raised brow she stalked right up to Adrien, making him gulp. "I assume you were of higher ranking where you are from?" she cut right to the point. Adrien jolted as he tried to come up with a story, stuttering his response. With a sigh, she held up a hand for him to stop, which he graciously did. "Look, none of us care what your civilian life is like. What matters is your personality, if you are strong, smart, and resourceful. Especially kind, we don't want a repeat of our last Chat Noir," she finished solemnly. Everyone in the room seemed to sober up to that statement. Adrien was glad that Plagg told him the story now. Although it was a troubling story, at least he learned it from Plagg himself than by word of tongue, and it also prevented an awkward conversation with the story if he didn't know.

"Of course not," he smiled genuinely, hoping to relieve some of the tension in the room. When she smiled back, it seemed he was successful.

"So, back to matters now. I saw how uncomfortable you became when Trixx told you to 'act normal'-"

"Hey!"

"Anyways, I have a feeling you have different normals then, one for each occasion, correct?" She continued after Adrien gave her a nod. "How do you act when you're with a close friend?" Adrien stared wide-eyed at her at the question. "Just act how you do with them around us, okay? We are friends now, you are one of us," she said as everyone nodded their head in confirmation.

"Thank you, really."

"Don't sweat it kid, we are all family, and you are a new member! Continuing on, there's a lot to explore around here! I have a feeling Mari will be down within an hour or so, so we should get going!" Trixx shouted as he began pulling Adrien towards another room.

"But, if she is going to finish soon, shouldn't we wait for her?"

"She has this talent in being able to find us anywhere in the castle. As a kid, we would play hide in seek as a large group, and she always found us. As she got older, we tried to make things harder. Even when we transformed into our alias animals, she was still able to pick us out of the bunch. She's smart, that little stink-bug."

"Trixx, you know she doesn't like you calling her a stink-bug," Duusu admonished.

"She doesn't like a lot of nicknames we give her, but oh well, it's funny seeing her upset with me. She reacts just like Tikki."

"You mean she puffs her cheeks too?" Adrien asked curiously.

"Of course! Those two are practically inseparable, so Mari is like a mini-me of Tikki. It's adorable, really. However, it's funnier for Marinette, because her cheeks grow bigger the more we tease her, and due to her fair complexion, her cheeks are even more pink than Tikki's, if not red."

"Wow, that sounds…" Adrien cut himself off as he couldn't think of the right word.

"Cute? Adorable?" Trixx slyly asked.

"Amusing!" he answered with a slightly higher and louder tone, making Trixx laugh out loud and the others chuckle at his antics. This only made him duck his head in embarrassment with a slight blush.

"Don't sweat it kid, we mean nothing besides good old-fashioned teasing. We know you human men are weak to a woman's beauty, and our little kit is quite the looker."

"It doesn't help that her beauty is natural," Duusu cut in.

"Which really isn't that fair," Pollen grumbled good naturedly.

"What, did the young princess became fairer than the queen?" Trixx asked jokingly.

"Of course not! No one can compare to this!" Pollen indicated to herself with a ridiculous pose, making the others laugh at her antics.

"Well, I know my children are praised to be known as some of the most beautiful creatures, according to some human cultures," Duusu praised.

"Also known as being pets in others," Wayzz included. Duusu could only squawk in protest at his input, making the others laugh louder. "It doesn't change the fact that she's still beautiful. Just make sure you don't step over the line, young one," Wayzz included softly and kindly, but had a warning glance in his eyes as he directed that last part to Adrien.

_Kwamis are very protective of their young, whether they be human or not,_ Adrien noted. "Of course not. I will only be respectful to the princess," he responded confidently and sincerely.

"Good! Now let's go explore!" Trixx exclaimed while he grabbed Adrien awkwardly by his scruff and dragged him along, causing the others to laugh once more while Adrien tried to maintain his balance.


End file.
